Anti-Mormon Claims
Anti-Mormon Claimshebrews 9:27second chancespirit worldbaptism for the dead

Hebrews 9:27 — No Second Chance?

It is appointed unto men once to die, then the judgment. Doesn’t that kill baptism for the dead and preaching in the spirit world?

Bible

The Bible answers

Bible · Hebrews 9:26–28

KJV + NRSVUE

King James Version

But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many.

NRSVUE

He has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once and after that the judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many…

Bible · 1 Peter 4:6

KJV + NRSVUE

King James Version

For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

NRSVUE

For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does.

Modern Revelation

Doctrine and Covenants 138:30–34

The Lord appointed messengers in the spirit world and authorized vicarious ordinances for those who would have received them in the flesh.

Faithful answers

FAIR

Death, judgment, and work for the dead

FAIR Latter-day Saints

Once to die is true. Once for all is Christ’s sacrifice. Neither verse says God cannot send preachers to the dead or allow a proxy baptism. If Hebrews banned 1 Peter, you have a canon fight, not a Latter-day Saint problem. We are the people who finally did something with Paul’s ‘why are they then baptized for the dead?’

A gospel that cannot reach the dead is too small for the God who preached in Hades.

  • Hebrews 9’s contrast is animals vs Christ, not ‘no post-mortal preaching.’
  • Judgment still comes. Vicarious ordinances do not force anyone.
  • The ‘second chance’ smear pretends we offer rebels a cheap redo. We offer the unevangelized a first real chance.
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Baptism for the Dead | Now You Know

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